In the year 1993 Mrs. Jean Jepegnanam, a senior English teacher in Ida Scudder School, Vellore enrolled herself for a course in TAFTEE (The Association for Theological Education by Extension) which included a course on ‘Gospel for the whole person’. As part of the course work she had chosen Narikuravas (Gypsies) who were living under three huge tamarind trees. As she watched the little children wallowing in the dirty water she heard the promptings of the Holy Spirit “I died for these children too; life has meaning for them also. I want you to come out and serve them”. She responded to this vision, resigned her job and started working with the socially and economically deprived. As she was a member of St. John’s church, the Church took this up as the Church project and thus was born the Karunai Illam Ministry on 13th of June 1993.
In 2002, as the Ministry was expanding, to facilitate easier functioning, the Church felt this project be registered as a Karunai Illam Trust with 9 Trustees of which at least 3 are from the members of the St.John’s Church. Karunai Illam is now based in 7 different places and reaches out to 30 more areas surrounding each centre.